(links to YouTube podcast episodes below)

SEASON 1

Vol. 01, No. 01 - The New Madrid Earthquakes, with Dr. Jonathan Hancock

(August, 2023 - Summer)

From December, 1811 until March, 1812, a series of three major earthquakes along the far western border of Kentucky shook the North American interior. The earthquakes were felt from as far away as South Carolina. Join us for a discussion with a KHS Research Fellow who is writing a book on the infamous earthquakes.

 

Vol. 01, No. 02 – More Than a Congressman’s Mistress, with Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe

(September, 2023 - Summer)

Throughout the history of the United States, several court cases have gripped the attention of the entire nation. In 1894, one such case occurred when Madeleine Pollard, a young woman from Frankfort, Kentucky, sued Kentucky Congressman William C.P. Breckinridge for breach of promise. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about Madeleine Pollard and who argues that we should see her as far more than simply “a Congressman’s Mistress."

"More Than a Congressman’s Mistress: Ambition and Scandal in the Life of Madeleine Pollard.” Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 115, no. 3 (Summer 2017): 313-348. Read on Project Muse.

 

Vol. 01, No. 03 – Aged Well in Kentucky, with Dr. Simon Buck.

(October, 2023 - Fall)

In the United States, several stereotypes dominate the popular imagination regarding Kentucky: horses, bourbon, fried chicken, and bluegrass. But what is the perception of Kentucky from outside of the United States? Join us for a discussion with Simon Buck, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, as we discuss aging, music, and how a person who grew up in the United Kingdom became interested in studying Kentucky. 

Vol. 01, No. 04 – Politics in Civil War Kentucky, with Dr. J. Matthew Gallman

(November, 2023 - Fall)

“‘What is the case of ‘Willie Waller’ at Maysville, Kentucky?’: The Strange Tale of a Kentucky Rebel,” Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 117, no. 1 (Winter 2019): 1-37. Read on Project Muse.

Read Dr. Gallman's book, available through University of Virginia Press.

 

Vol. 01, No. 05 – Our Own History, with Dr. Derek Kane O’Leary

(December, 2023 - Fall)

The Kentucky Historical Society was founded in 1836, but did you know that it soon lapsed? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article examining the origins of the Kentucky Historical Society and who explains why it struggled to survive as an institution in the nineteenth century.

“‘The Historical Society has removed to Massachusetts’: Edward Jarvis and the First Kentucky Historical Society,” Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 121, no. 1 (Winter 2023): 5-50. Read on Project Muse. 

 

Vol. 01, No. 06 – The Eugenics Debate, with Dr. Pietra Diwan

(January, 2024 - Winter)

The issues of birth control and reproductive rights are familiar today to most Americans, but did you know that over a century ago these issues were being debated? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is examining the legacy of eugenics and who helps explain why these debates from over a century ago have a continuing relevance today.

 

Vol. 01, No. 07 – Owensboro’s Black Chautauqua, with Dr. Cynthia Patterson

(February, 2024 - Winter)

On August 12, 2022, noted author Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times as he was about to deliver a talk at the Chautauqua Institute, in Chautauqua, New York. Popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Chautauquas have declined in popularity over the years, although they are still held throughout the United States. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about a Black Chautauqua that was held in Owensboro, Kentucky, as we delve into the local history of Chautauquas.

 

Vol. 01, No. 08 – Evolution and Kentucky Before Scopes, with Emily Muhich

(March, 2024 - Winter)

In 1925, Americans focused their attention on the Scopes Trial, a court case in Tennessee where a teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution. Yet three years before the infamous trial, the state of Kentucky nearly passed a law that would have forbidden the teaching of evolution. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is writing a dissertation about the evolution debates that roiled Kentucky in 1922. 

 

Vol. 01, No. 09 – A Cold Case in Caldwell County, with Dr. Kevin McPartland

(April, 2023 - Spring)

Being a part of a close-knit neighborhood is something that many people aspire to. Barbecues, football games, and community events can help neighbors feel a sense of connectedness and community. But neighborhoods can also be places of separation and division, with boundaries drawn between families and neighbors. Join us today for a discussion with a former graduate research associate who has written an article about one Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence shortly before the Civil War.

"He Has Ever Been Considered, a Good and True Hearted Citizen": Neighborhood and Community in the Wadlington Case, by Kevin McPartland. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Volume 120, Number 3&4, Summer/Autumn 2022, pp. 319-341 Read on Project Muse.

Vol. 01, No. 09 - ADDENDUM: Chuck and the Civil War Governors of Kentucky, with Dr. Chuck Welsko

(April, 2023 - SPRING)

In Episode 9, we interviewed Dr. Kevin McPartland who shares his research about a Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence before the Civil War. He also worked as a Graduate Associate at the Civil War Governors of Kentucky project which is managed by the Kentucky Historical Society. In his interview, Kevin talks a lot about his work, and he also talks a lot about the manager of the project, Dr. Charles Welsko. But, after we recorded the interview, we realized that you, our listeners, might want to know more about CWGK (as we call it) from Dr. Welsko himself.

Learn more about the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition.

 

Vol. 01, No. 10 - Progressivism at Pine Mountain, with Adrien Lievin

(May, 2024 – Spring) 

The right to a high-school-level education is something that most people take for granted. Indeed, parents today often confront an array of options when it comes to the types of educational opportunities available to their children. But this has not always been the case. Join us for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who studies the Pine Mountain Settlement School and who will talk about shifting views on education in Kentucky.

 

Vol. 01, No. 11 – Más que Panaderías, Paleterias, and Pupuserías, with Eladio Bobadilla

(June, 2024 – Spring) 

Have you ever visited “Mexington” Kentucky or do you know what a “Kentubano” is? Latino influences are all around us in Kentucky, but they can often be overlooked. Join us today for a discussion with a historian who has written an article on Latino migration into Kentucky and who will help us understand how Latinos are helping to remake the commonwealth. 

 

SEASON 2

Vol. 02, No. 01 – The Brutal Institution, with Mia Edwards

(July, 2024 – Summer) 

Within popular culture, enslaved people are often depicted as robust, vigorous, and strong, yet enslaved people often suffered brutal injuries at the hands of their enslavers. What was life like for those enslaved persons who suffered devastating injuries and how did they deal with disability? Join us today for a discussion with a research fellow who is teasing out how masculinity, physicality, and disability shaped the worldview of both the enslaver and the enslaved. 

 

Vol. 02, No. 02 – How the Civil War Remade the Border, with Christopher Phillips 

(August – Summer)

Drive through Kentucky today and you are likely to come across signs reading “Welcome to the Front Porch of the South.” Yet Kentucky has never been an easy state to define. During the Civil War, Kentucky straddled the line between North and South, gaining the somewhat generic classification of a “Border State.” Yet there is a region that Kentucky at one point in time was most identified with, and it was neither the North or South. Join us today for a talk with a former research fellow, who helps explain why Kentucky was considered to be a part of the West and why that changed after the Civil War.

 

Vol. 02, No. 03 – Convict Leasing in Kentucky, With Charlene Fletcher 

(September-Summer)

In 1798, the state of Kentucky established the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) in Frankfort. Although prisoners were expected to remain silent, the state soon put them to work. Over time, those housed in the Penitentiary made shoes, plow irons, and an assortment of other items. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow, who will explain how the practice of inmate labor evolved over time and how it continued to shape Frankfort—and the rest of the state—long after the Civil War.

 

Vol. 02, No. 04 – The International Influence of 4-H, with William Sack 

(October – Fall)

Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. These are the four “hs” of the youth organization formed in 1912 that is known as 4-H. Although many Americans are aware of 4-H, or perhaps have been a member at some point in time, few realize its international dimensions. Join us today for a talk with a research fellow who is examining the links between Kentucky and Japan through agricultural extension programs such as 4-H.

For his research, William Sack focused on the Darrell A. Posey collection (MSS 245). This collection has not yet been digitized, but researchers can explore the collection in the KHS Research Library.”

He also consulted the Bath County Oral History Project. The interview with Tera Lee Rawlings was particularly helpful for his project on 4-H.   

 

Vol. 02, No. 05 - Tomb of Love and Honor, with Dr. Matthew Schoenbachler

(November - Fall) SPECIAL EPISODE

On the early morning of November 7, 1825, in Frankfort, Ky., Jereboam Beauchamp stabbed Kentucky Legislator Solomon Sharp, in an event that would become known as the Kentucky Tragedy.

“I then replied in a soft, conciliating and persuasive tone of voice, ‘Come to the light, Colonel, and you will know me,’ and pulling him by the arm he came readily to the door. I stepped with one foot back upon the first step out at the door, and still holding his wrist in my left hand I stripped my hat and handkerchief from over my forehead…, and looked right up in Col. Sharp’s face. He knew me the more readily, I imagine  , by my long, bushy, curly suit of hair. He sprang back, and exclaimed in the deepest tone of astonishment, dismay, horror and despair I ever heard, ‘It’s Him!” and as he said that he fell on his knees, after failing to jerk loose his wrist from my grasp. As he fell on his knees I let go his wrist and grasped his throat, and dashing him against the facing of the door, I choked him to keep him from hallowing, and muttered in his face, ‘Die You Villain!” and as I said that, I plunged the dagger to his heart.”

Such is the story recounted by Jereboam Beauchamp, the murderer of Solomon Sharp. But did the murder really occur as Beauchamp explained in his sensational confessions? Join us today for a special discussion of one of Kentucky’s most notorious murders.

Check out his book, "Murder and Madness: The Myth of the Kentucky Tragedy" published by The University Press of Kentucky.

 

Vol. 02, No. 06 – Citizenship by Consent in Kentucky, with Sara Egge 

(December-Fall) – recorded 12/7/23.

Many of us have seen images of a naturalization ceremony in the United States, where a group of individuals become citizens. Or perhaps you have participated in a naturalization ceremony yourself. But did you know that the process to become a citizen used to be quite different? Join us today for a discussion with a research fellow who talks about how a person could go about becoming a citizen of the United States in the nineteenth century and who will help us understand why that process was so complex.

During her time at KHS, Sara Egge looked at:

• The Schmidt Family Collection (SC 1027). Digitized copy of the Martin Schmidt Naturalization Papers 
• “Introduction: Agriculture and Rural Life in Kentucky,” by Sara Egge and David E. Hamilton. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Volume 116, Numbers 3&4, Summer/Autumn 2018, pp. 291-301. Read on Project Muse.  

 

Vol. 02, No. 07—The Vice-President’s Black Wife, with Amrita Myers 

(January-Winter) 

Richard Mentor Johnson is one of the most famous Kentuckians of the nineteenth century, having ascended to the position of Vice President of the United States in 1837. While much has been written about Johnson’s political career, nobody has uncovered the story of the enslaved woman whom he considered his wife, Julia Chinn. Until now. Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow who wrote a book about Julia Chinn and will explain why we should remember her story.

Check out her book, "The Vice President's Black Wife: The Untold Life of Julia Chinn" published by The University of North Carolina Press.

 

Vol. 02, No. 08—The Spread of Racial Science, with Christopher Willoughby

(February-Winter)

In the nineteenth century, individuals who wanted to study medicine often had few options for formal study, with only a handful of schools accepting students. This meant that most of those who came to Kentucky to teach at places like Transylvania were not from the state. Join us today for a discussion with a scholar who has written an article about the “Pioneer Professors” of Kentucky medicine.

 

Vol. 02, No. 09—Life and Times of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, with Joan Cashin 

(March-Winter)  

 

Vol. 02, No. 10 – Commemorating the Civil War in Kentucky, with Caroline Janney 

(April-Spring)

Within popular culture, veterans of the Civil War are often depicted as having reconciled in reunions held throughout the nation in the late nineteenth century. Grainy images of Blue and Gray Reunions often show grizzled veterans shaking hands, symbolically pulling the nation back together as the bitter memory of the Civil War faded. Yet how accurate is this portrayal? Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow who has written a book that reveals why this often-repeated tale of reunion and reconciliation fails to accurately capture how many remembered the Civil War.

 

Vol. 02, No. 11 – Fugitivity and Freedom in a Border Region, with Lorraine McConaghy 

(May-Spring)

When we think of border states and the Civil War, we often think about Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Delaware. When we think of fugitive slaves, we often think of the Ohio River or the Mason-Dixon line as a boundary between slavery and freedom. But did you know that similar debates over the meaning of freedom and slavery occurred in the Washington Territory? Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow, who will explain how she came across a fugitive slave in Washington Territory, and what his story tells us about fugitivity and freedom in a border region.

 

Vol. 02, No. 12 – Horace Holley and the Transformation of Transylvania, with James Cousins

(June-Spring)

Founded in 1780, what would become Transylvania University was established over a decade before Kentucky even became a state. In 1818, Horace Holley—a Yale-educated minister from Connecticut—took over as president of the fledgling institution. Holley attempted to transform the institution, but ran into a host of difficulties. Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow, who has written a book exploring Holley’s life and the tumultuous time that he spent at Transylvania. 

 

Season 3

We are now scheduling and recording interviews for Season 3. If you are a past KHS Research Fellow  or a contributor to  The Register, please contact Dr. Daniel Burge to be considered for an interview. 

 

Vol. 03, No. 1 – Zachary Taylor’s Kentucky, with Michael Cohen 

(July – Summer)

The Whig Party has been largely forgotten today, but prior to the creation of the Republican Party in 1854, it was the main competitor to the Democratic Party. Within Kentucky, the Whig Party dominated politics, as it held the governor’s mansion from 1836 to 1851. In 1848, support from prominent Kentuckians like John J. Crittenden proved pivotal to the nomination and election of Zachary Taylor, a man who had himself been raised in Kentucky. Join us today for a talk with a researcher and editor who is leading the project to compile the letters of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore.